Oscillation
by keep-me-from-fading
Summary: When the worst is discovered in such a tranquil place like Cavadon Bay, only the most sinister of people could possibly be responsible ... Bloodshed, pain, terror, be sure to except it all.


Chapter 1

As he exhales his bitter breath dampens my cold, untouched neck like morning dew; a frigid breeze that causes my entire body to tremor. My index finger taps rhythmically against the rough denim of my jean pocket. He pauses in his stance reverting from my neck, the scent of his aftershave lingering in the pores of my skin. His aroma is a contraction of tobacco and lynx both physically and metaphorically, making it addictive and appealing all at once. As he backs away, I only wish that he would inch closer to me once more, close enough for our faces, our bodies, to be touching...

But that would be wrong.

I feel Phoenix's fiery eyes peering at my own, they are the most beautiful and cynical shade of hazelnut I have ever witnessed, in certain lights they almost appear crimson-which in my opinion perfectly suits his name. He watches himself vainly in the reflection of my own eyes, combing his thick dark hair with his sturdy fingers.

A diminutive grin forms on his gruff yet undeniably handsome face.

"I thought you were going to bite me" I give a small sigh, which was both of relief and disappointment. He laughs, baring his long slender teeth, stroking them with the tip of his tongue in a mimicking manner.

"Vampirism is not my thing!" He winks cheekily, old fashionably, a sarcastic element in his manner. Do people really still wink? Most people definitely do not! But then again Phoenix Taylor was not like 'most people'.

"Remember this?" Phoenix grabs hold of something that catches my attention, it is the rustic metallic chain belonging to the old swing we used to play on yet the seat was no longer existent and had been falling apart even when we were kids- so I wasn't that surprised.

"Do I remember it?" I say excitedly, my rounded cheeks rise upwards, I squint my eyes narrowly. The metal is surprisingly hot upon my smooth flesh as I cradle my hand around one of the chains yet I do not withdraw it.

"It's a bit dangerous now don't you think?" I ask glancing around the desolate park, a small breeze brushes against the left hand side of my cheek delicately.

Phoenix nods. "Of course it is but that's what makes it even more exciting right? These chains, these are a part of our childhood, our history! Without these you would never have the pleasure of being best mates with a guy as undeniably handsome and good humoured as me!" He laughed vainly and still I wasn't entirely sure if he was serious or not.

"Oh what a shame" I say teasingly pushing his arm, my mind trails back eleven years _ago..._

_"Take care of your sister!" my mother's voice is stern yet there is a certain element of worry in her tone._

_"I will." Cody sighs, rolling his dull grey eyes._

_My mother lowers herself to my level zipping up the shiny scarlet trench coat that hangs down to my bony knees like a dress, my long fair hair only inches above. She stands up and turns towards my adolescent brother and reaches for his coat zipper yet he pushes away from her quickly._

_"It's fine." he says grumpily._

_"Hmm" my mum mutters. She leans down again and kisses my soft peachy cheek, I grin wrinkling up my button nose. She doesn't dare to kiss Cody!_

_Cody takes my hand half heartedly whilst we walk down the path leading away from the house, up to the field where we spent most of our summers. Next to it there is a tiny children's park with a swing, a slide, crooked seesaw and broken climbing frame. Cody orders me to go and play as he approaches three other boys around about his age, I recognise one of them because of his distinctively azure eyes and raven black hair, darker than any hair I've ever seen before- he seems significantly older. I skip off not wishing to argue with my brothers commands._

_At first the park seems silent- which is not unusual as most children choose to play at the park nearby the primary school rather than this one. However I soon realise I am not alone as I hear the familiar creaking of the swing and notice a young, dark haired boy sitting upon it. His eyes appear red in the sunlight, not devilish, red like the burning feathers of a Phoenix, red like wine and blood and inferno yet still not devilish._

_"Hello" I say shyly approaching the swing, twiddling my hair around my fingers._

_The boy glares at me, pulling a face which is neither half frightened nor surprised. "Oh...hello!"_

_"What's your name?" I ask- I was never the girl to ask questions to anybody but something told me that this boy was not just anybody._

_"Phoenix! I'm Phoenix Taylor. What's yours?" He replies confidently._

_"__I am Hope." I answer sweetly with my girlish voice. His face lightens up for a split second._

_"Nice to meet you Hope" he holds out his tiny hand like an apprentice and I shake it eagerly as if we were making a deal, a bond, right from the beginning._

"We were best buddies from the start" I say eleven years after we had met.

"And we shall be best buddies until the very end!" he replies grasping my hand gently in his own, he squeezes it tightly. I begin to talk yet something catches my attention in the distance, I pause glancing over Phoenix's shoulder observing a shapeless object by a great bush, the yellow flowers it bloomed in spring are now withered, lifeless and grey.

"Phoenix!" I screech cowering to the grassy ground buckling my knees into the mud, the bugs scatter around my feet yet my eyes are too fixated upon the object in the bush to care.

"What is it?" he says crouching down, he places his hands upon my shoulders firmly and shakes me with concern. I gradually retrieve my eyes from the object and peer into his desperately though no words can escape my mouth, my tongue feels swollen, and the back of my throat ignites. He glances at me, he knows already that it is something disturbing, and then he gazes behind towards the bush. Phoenix does not notice for a second but soon the panic flushes over his face and his entire body stiffens. His breath is bitter again and so is my own yet somehow the world surrounding us is even more Siberian. We sit there for a moment both knowing what we have witnessed yet none of us wish to admit it, none of us wish to confirm the putrid, sickening thing we see concealed in the bushes hidden amongst the decaying flowers in the place where we had grew up in. Our beautiful, magical, amazing place, now in ruins...

Finally Phoenix turns to me, his tone as sinister as the very look that lingers in his eyes- not like fire or blood or wine, devil red this time.

"It's a body..." Phoenix's voice trails off.


End file.
